EU Delegation meets Ombudsman, offers support

Guyana’s newly appointed Ombudsman,  Justice Winston Moore on Monday met with a delegation from the European Union (EU) and heard that it was prepared to offer help to his office.

A release from the EU said that the team comprised Head of Delegation of the European Union [EU] to Guyana, Robert Kopecký; Political Officer, Derek Lambe; Head of Cooperation,  Ewout Sandker; Head of Bilateral Section, Benedikt Madl and Programme Officer,  Yohann Chaigneau.

During the courtesy call, the release said that Moore explained the function and  methods of the office of the Ombudsman and various matters of common interest were discussed.

Kopecký congratulated him on being appointed to the position which was vacant for the past eight years and lauded the act of appointment as a “very valuable contribution to one of the core values of the European Union that is good governance and the rights of citizenry.”

The release said that Kopecký further highlighted the importance of the office of the Ombudsman likening the similarity to that of the role of the European Ombudsman in ensuring the preservation of democracy and human rights. He also assured the Ombudsman that the EU is ready, via its Delegation in Georgetown, to support the Ombudsman’s office in terms of capacity building and logistics enhancement if the Guyanese side expresses such a request.

Moore acknowledged receiving an earlier letter from the EU Ambassador indicating the readiness of the EU Delegation to cooperate with his office and floated several areas in which this could be achieved.

Moore was sworn-in on January 13 this year.